Are you waiting for stem cells or something to improve hearing?

[Jiro]

Cultivated ear cells may lead to cure for deafness
Finding lays groundwork for developing hearing-loss treatments
Stem-cell advance raises hopes of cure for deafness

sounds like they're getting quite far ahead than I thought in their research experiment. it was said that this research will become viable for human ears within 15-20 years.

 

[kokonut]

Stem cells to restore hearing is NOT going to happen in the next 100 years simply because this shit is just too complicated right now, and technology is NOT that good yet...technology may be very good right now but it's not 100% perfect...in fact it is far from ever being perfect right now.

Never say never. Look at medicine exactly 100 years ago and compare that to today. Look at how medicine progressed in the last 30 years to the previous 30 years. Private companies, universities, and even the govt are doing tons of research work on stem cells solely because of the huge possibilities. Research on stem cells continues to grow as applications to various conditions, ailments and such will continue to grow more every few years.

New Mouse Model For Understanding Cause Of Progressive Hearing Loss
Hear-it: The ultimate source on hearing, hearing loss and hearing aids -
Molecular Defect Involved In Hearing Loss Discovered
Stem Cells Could Regenerate Inner Ear Hairs?and Hearing | 80beats | Discover Magazine

 

[kokonut]

Cultivated ear cells may lead to cure for deafness
Finding lays groundwork for developing hearing-loss treatments
Stem-cell advance raises hopes of cure for deafness

sounds like they're getting quite far ahead than I thought in their research experiment. it was said that this research will become viable for human ears within 15-20 years.

Yes, indeed. I've watched this field grow over the last several years when I first heard about their research on stem cells for nerve deafness. And when this does become viable and pratical hearing parents of deaf children will certainly be overjoyed to finally choose a more "natural" path on regaining hearing loss rather than resorting to CI operations or the use of a hearing aids.

 

[Jiro]

Oh, and to answer the question, yes, I expect stem cells will have the ability to help restore some/all of my nerve deafness in my better ear someday within 10 to 15 years (or daresay earlier than that?) with the way biotechnology is moving. I use a hearing aid to help listen, speak and understand words. But to hear without the use of a hardware would be great news for me and millions of people with hearing loss.

well - yes I do use HA but even if HA becomes completely useless for me by next day, i wouldn't opt for CI. No way in hell would I let my skull get drilled in. If I go 100% deaf, oh well.. not a big deal. At least I've got ASL, voice, and written English to communicate with people. I'll simply live a life like Marlee Matlin... gotta find a cute terp

Yes I've had my fun moments with sounds but it's not my most vital thing. As long as I've got my eyes, I'm good.

Kokonut - there's absolutely nothing wrong with you trying to regain your hearing by any means - HA, CI, stem cell, etc. I understand and I make no judgment against you. I only got a beef with people who are trying to invalidate/eradicate ASL and are arguing that being not able to speak brings nothing but misfortune.

 

[Hear Again]

Yes, but overall stem cell research (adult, embryonic and cord blood stem cells) didn't take off until the last several years. This field has the potential to treat a mind-boggling number of conditions and ailments, not to mention a lucrative medicine field. We would literally have the ability (with biotechnology help) to heal thyself.

See history timeline in Stem cell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And the potential and existing treatments using stem cells
Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics

kokonut. That was the point I was trying to get across albeit poorly. Stem cell research is nothing new, but having said that, I highly doubt it will see the light of day when it comes to curing hearing loss/deafness.

 

[krazykatkitty]

I didn't know about the stem cells until yesterday when I found out on the alldeaf.com and this tread too and it was very interesting. I told my parents about it and they find it very interested. I'm sure that the technology and development will get better in every about 5 or to 10 years and its amazing! I hoping that the stem cells will cure on Deaf people or hearing loss in one day so that will be AWESOME and AMAZING!

 

[Hear Again]

I also get the feeling that DeafDude is not proud to be a Deaf person even though he is anti-CI (which he claims not to be). DeafDude...if you truly don't like being Deaf then please seek counseling. You may be having a problem accepting your Deafness.

I get this impression as well. Instead of allowing others to choose whether or not a CI is right for them, deafdude insists that they try the latest hearing aids, tweak their hearing aids, increase gain on their hearing aids or do any other myriad of things in order to hear better. I think each of us has the right to decide for ourselves whether we want to use HAs, CIs or neither.

 

[LuciaDisturbed]

Never say never. Look at medicine exactly 100 years ago and compare that to today. Look at how medicine progressed in the last 30 years to the previous 30 years. Private companies, universities, and even the govt are doing tons of research work on stem cells solely because of the huge possibilities. Research on stem cells continues to grow as applications to various conditions, ailments and such will continue to grow more every few years.

New Mouse Model For Understanding Cause Of Progressive Hearing Loss
Hear-it: The ultimate source on hearing, hearing loss and hearing aids -
Molecular Defect Involved In Hearing Loss Discovered
Stem Cells Could Regenerate Inner Ear Hairs?and Hearing | 80beats | Discover Magazine

We don't know for sure. There's no guarantees right now of a date of when stem cells treatments to restore hearing will become available. So, we'll see.

 

[kokonut]

:Stem cell research is nothing new, but having said that, I highly doubt it will see the light of day when it comes to curing hearing loss/deafness.

Oh, it will. It's not a matter of if but when. Just get a hold of those medical journals. It's mind boggling on the amount of research work they've done so far and the evolving understanding on how hearing works and hearing loss on a scale not seen several years ago. You'd be amazed once you get your hands on those medical information. It's a bit of tough reading but highly informative on how research is being done at the micro and nano-scale.

 

[kokonut]

As our understanding continues to grow on what causes deafness along with our understanding on the mechanics at the micro and nano level and how to address it via biotechnology, certainly it will be a matter of time until the first application becomes viable to treat, say, nerve deafness. Which forms of deafness will it be addressed first? Probably nerve deafness since stem cells research involving nerve development is a big field to begin with. It's not a matter of if but when. Just as it'd be a matter of time to treat blindness, spinal cord injuries (i.e. paralysis), Parkinson, Alzeihmer, diabetes (already being done), damage to muscles, heart muscles, and so on. In fact, regenerative therapies have been demonstrated (in trials or the laboratory) to heal broken bones, bad burns, blindness, deafness, heart damage, nerve damage, Parkinson's disease and other conditions. Regenerative medicine is a fast growing field right now involving stem cells therapies. Unless, of course, you are saying that stem cells will unable to cure or even treat myriads of conditions and ailments someday?

 

[Jiro]

lol poor kokonut. here -

(Latest to Earliest)

May 28, 2009 - link
March 9, 2009 - link
March 5, 2009 - link
March 1, 2009 - link
October 30, 2009 - link
so on.....

 

[LuciaDisturbed]

Deafness is not something that's important enough to cure anyway, many deaf people find that they can live with their deafness, and there is always the hearing aids or the cochlear implants, and there is even the ABI and the very new PABI (that was based on the original ABI). Many Deaf people even choose not to have any HAs or CIs or ABIs or even PABIs at all, they often choose to live in total silence simply because they find they really love the 100% silence. There are other things that are far more serious and therefore more important to cure or treat. Let's say, a example, chronic kidney disease where you end up needing a kidney. There just aren't enough donated kidneys to go around everyone who needs a kidney transplant (even from both dead and living people). I would rather that the stem cell research focus on more serious condition than deafness. You won't die from deafness but you can die from a non-functioning kidney, even if you are on dialysis 3-4 times a week for 3-4 hours at a time. And I know from what my friend have told me that it is NO fun - you have to totally arrange your entire life around your dialysis treatments because so many dialysis centers are not flexible with the time slots for dialysis and usually are open only during the day and only Monday through Fridays, the ones that are open during the night and on weekends are in hospitals. Some people do get lucky with dialysis such as my friend Nik, but usually you don't last that long on dialysis (she has been on dialysis for the last 15+ years). There's also all sorts of issues that comes from being dialyzed for so long. Many people die waiting for a kidney or other organ. And then there's the people that need bone marrow transplants, especially those born with SCIDS or are fighting various kinds of cancers. There's so many things that are so much more important and I think stem cell research would be better off focusing on those things than on deafness. Deafness isn't going to kill you, you just can't hear. The other things I mentioned can kill you. Why waste time and money on treating deafness with stem cell research when CIs is available and when there are much more important conditions that stem cell research should be focusing on and spending money on instead. I think treating deafness shouldn't be such a huge priority in stem cell research. Besides, so many d/Deaf people don't want their deafness cured anyway. But so many people really need a new kidney or other organ or they really need a bone marrow transplant (without bone marrow you're fucked - that's where your immune system is!)

 

[Hear Again]

I'd like to see stem cell research place more emphasis on cancer and mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar. That's just me though, but I do agree with Lucia. There are far more important health conditions that should be treated with stem cells than deafness. Deafness isn't the end of the world. (Note: The only reason I chose to receive CIs was to increase my personal safety as a totally deafblind person. Imagine how frightening it is walking down a busy street being unable to see or hear.)

 

[overthepond]

If I remember right, you had CI therefore you had something done to your ear.

Yes I have CI and i am 30's which means i am in my prime young woman, kids, babies, work. I rather have something done "now" than wait for 10, 20 years before it becomes available and there is no guaratee it would work by then i would be in my 40's,50's, it's far too long for me when i want to hear.

 

[Jiro]

Deafness is not something that's important enough to cure anyway, many deaf people find that they can live with their deafness, and there is always the hearing aids or the cochlear implants, and there is even the ABI and the very new PABI (that was based on the original ABI). Many Deaf people even choose not to have any HAs or CIs or ABIs or even PABIs at all, they often choose to live in total silence simply because they find they really love the 100% silence.

what about musicians? police officers? soldiers? or the jobs that require hearing because they love doing it? Beside that - we're humans. we never stop. We will always continue to improve and advance. We went from some silly metal object that you put on your ear to box-size HA to ITE HA to CI. Why not keep going?

There are other things that are far more serious and therefore more important to cure or treat. Let's say, a example, chronic kidney disease where you end up needing a kidney. There just aren't enough donated kidneys to go around everyone who needs a kidney transplant (even from both dead and living people). I would rather that the stem cell research focus on more serious condition than deafness. You won't die from deafness but you can die from a non-functioning kidney, even if you are on dialysis 3-4 times a week for 3-4 hours at a time. And I know from what my friend have told me that it is NO fun - you have to totally arrange your entire life around your dialysis treatments because so many dialysis centers are not flexible with the time slots for dialysis and usually are open only during the day and only Monday through Fridays, the ones that are open during the night and on weekends are in hospitals. Some people do get lucky with dialysis such as my friend Nik, but usually you don't last that long on dialysis (she has been on dialysis for the last 15+ years). There's also all sorts of issues that comes from being dialyzed for so long. Many people die waiting for a kidney or other organ. And then there's the people that need bone marrow transplants, especially those born with SCIDS or are fighting various kinds of cancers. There's so many things that are so much more important and I think stem cell research would be better off focusing on those things than on deafness. Deafness isn't going to kill you, you just can't hear. The other things I mentioned can kill you. Why waste time and money on treating deafness with stem cell research when CIs is available and when there are much more important conditions that stem cell research should be focusing on and spending money on instead. I think treating deafness shouldn't be such a huge priority in stem cell research. Besides, so many d/Deaf people don't want their deafness cured anyway. But so many people really need a new kidney or other organ or they really need a bone marrow transplant (without bone marrow you're fucked - that's where your immune system is!)

stem cell research is performed by thousand of organizations with specific agenda. Nobody is wasting time and money. For example - Christopher Reeves (the original superman) funded stem cell research specifically for spinal cord damage. He's not going to bother with funding stem cell research for leukemia or whatever. There are other people for that. Federal government is funding most of it as well anyway. Pharmaceutical companies and countries like Singapore are already pouring billions in R&D to create drugs/cures for something serious like AIDS, schizophrenia, etc.

We've already spent billions and lost millions of lives to diseases/cancers that cannot ever be cured by drugs. Finally... this time - we have a good promising fighting chance... to combat these incurable diseases/cancers at genetic level and that's stem cell research. Human is designed and born with 5 senses. naturally - they will find a way to enhance those 5 senses and also to repair the damaged sense.

 

[kokonut]

lol poor kokonut. here -

(Latest to Earliest)

May 28, 2009 - link
March 9, 2009 - link
March 5, 2009 - link
March 1, 2009 - link
October 30, 2009 - link
so on.....

Ha ha...exactly. Looks like you beat me to it. Yes, the same sources seen in Wikipedia on the key research events timeline.

 

[overthepond]

I am just being bitchy cuz today, we had a team of specialists come to our school to observe and they commented saying that more of our students should have CIs. It is an individual choice!

Thats terrible!

 

[kokonut]

With 33 million people in the U.S. with hearing loss from mild to profound make stem cell research on hearing loss an important one since it does address the issue of quality of life and the ability to hear. Just as stem cells research could help address a variety of blindness and level of vision loss. Treatments of spinal cord injuries or nerve injuries would be remarkable when the day come that nerve damage and severances would easily be corrected through stem cells (or other biotechnology miracle of the day) even though nerve injuries aren't always life threatening as with a number of other conditions or even ailments that could be treated someday. It's the quality of life and increased independence that can make a difference here.

 

[LuciaDisturbed]

what about musicians? police officers? soldiers? or the jobs that require hearing because they love doing it? Beside that - we're humans. we never stop. We will always continue to improve and advance. We went from some silly metal object that you put on your ear to box-size HA to ITE HA to CI. Why not keep going?

I wouldn't want to be a soldier. I ain't a domestic dissent, I just ain't gonna go fight a war and get killed. No thanks! There's other ways to serve our country anyway. Like volunteering for an AIDS charity!

If you want the stem cell treatment to treat your deafness if it does become available, go for it. But I ain't interested.

Cops? I don't trust them!

I know musicians with hearing losses who do well.

 

[Hear Again]

I know musicians with hearing losses who do well.

That's right. If you want proof, just visit AAMHL's website. (Association for Adult Musicians with Hearing Loss). I'm a part of that group myself since I sing and play several musical instruments.